Rural markets shine

Urban India has been lagging the hinterlands on consumer sentiments

Consumer sentiments have improved well in September 2021. As of September 25, the index of consumer sentiments stood at 58.2. It was 53.9 in August and 53 in July. (The index has a base of 100 in September-December 2015.) The improvement in September is across rural and urban regions but it is rural India that continues to hold promise in spite of a few setbacks in recent weeks.

Much of the rapid and impressive gains made by consumer sentiments in rural India in the first two weeks of September were lost in the third week. The rural index had gained